Takanawa Gateway City is a developing, innovative urban complex located in the heart of Tokyo. Designed to be a city of the future, it blends cutting-edge technology, sustainability, and modern design to create a unique environment that visitors can experience firsthand. The city’s concept revolves around providing a glimpse into what urban life could look like 100 years from now, making it a fascinating destination for those eager to explore new ideas and technologies. March 2025 saw the opening of “THE LINKPILLAR 1”, a prominent twin-tower complex in the center of the area. The second Linkpillar is expected to open in 2026, with museums and residence facilities opening to the public.

One of the most striking features of Takanawa Gateway City is its futuristic approach. Visitors can experience autonomous mobility, AR-driven city tours, and immersive entertainment that showcase the possibilities of smart city living. This “100 years ahead” theme brings together the latest in urban development, offering a glimpse into a sustainable and high-tech future.

Whether you’re a tech enthusiast, a foodie, or a culture seeker, this “city within a city” provides a dynamic and exciting experience!

NEWoMan Takanawa is a must-visit destination for travelers exploring Tokyo. Located within the newly opened Takanawa Gateway City complex, this shopping and lifestyle hub offers a curated selection of fashion, beauty, and dining experiences, in a total of around 200 stores.

Spanning floors 1-5 of The Linkpillar 1 South and The Linkpillar North, in addition to the 28th and 29th floors of The Linkpillar 1 North and floors 2-3 of The Linkpillar 2, this huge complex provides a stylish yet relaxing space to enjoy during a trip to Japan, highlighting the latest trends from both Japanese and international brands. For international visitors, tax-free options make shopping convenient and comfortable!

The facility features a range of well-known brands and unique shops, making it a convenient spot for last-minute shopping or picking up exclusive items. Whether you're looking for high-end fashion, beauty essentials, or souvenirs, NEWoMan Takanawa has something to offer. The dining options include a mix of international and Japanese cuisine, with cafes, bakeries, and specialty restaurants that cater to diverse tastes.

One of its highlights is Luftbaum, an expansive 8,000 square meter rooftop garden over 100 meters in the air, offering a serene escape from the city’s bustle. Scheduled to open in autumn 2025, this open-air space, complete with a line of shops, all-day dining and a bar, is perfect for unwinding while enjoying views of the surrounding area.

The complex also emphasizes convenience, with easy access from Shinagawa Station, a major transportation hub connecting travelers with both of Tokyo’s airports, the Tokaido Shinkansen line, and other key destinations.

NEWoMan Takanawa’s stylish and welcoming atmosphere makes it an excellent stop for tourists looking to experience modern Tokyo. Whether you’re shopping, dining, or simply taking a break between sightseeing, this destination offers a perfect blend of relaxation and excitement in the heart of the city.

Let’s have a look at some of the stores our editors enjoyed!

Danish flower artist and designer Nicolai Bergmann brings a lovely splash of color into NEWoMan Takanawa, introducing a new concept combining four themes: Flowers, Café, School, and Living.

This new store offers a unique experience where people can connect their work and home life through beautiful flowers and designs.

The store features a wide range of flower items, including stylish flower boxes and a floral boutique offering single flowers for easy purchase. For those interested in hands-on experiences, the store regularly hosts accessible and enjoyable flower workshops under the theme “easy, fun, and approachable.”

A highlight of the new concept is Nicolai Bergmann Living, which showcases product designs by Nicolai Bergmann himself, alongside curated Japanese traditional crafts and Scandinavian living items. These selections bring color and creativity to home and office spaces, offering inspiration for both work and leisure.

Nicolai Bergmann's café section presents carefully curated café items that are easy to take and enjoy on the go, mixing Japanese and Scandinavian flavors in a fascinating way.

We had the pleasure of exchanging a few words with designer Nicolai himself, who shared his excitement about this new location and being able to reach a new crowd with his work. Our Swedish-born editor Johanna was especially happy to greet a fellow Scandinavian and share her love for the Japan and Scandinavian fused interior style.

Also located on the second floor of NEWoMan Takanawa's The Linkpillar 1 South, Blue Bottle Coffee Takanawa Café adds to the area's selection of unique spots.

Originally founded in Oakland, California, Blue Bottle Coffee is known for its commitment to freshness. It uses small-batch roasting to deliver high-quality, hand-dripped coffee. With its “Timeless” concept, the café offers espresso drinks and freshly brewed coffee, alongside gluten-free pastries like the Banana Pound Cake and freshly baked Liège Waffle.

Additionally, Blue Bottle Coffee Takanawa Café offers a selection of exclusive merchandise, including brewing equipment, minimalist tote bags, and reusable mugs. Conveniently located, this is a great spot for a coffee break while exploring the area!

The MAISON CLASSIC brand, launched by CLASSIC INC., is redefining the concept of a station space with a focus on creating a comfortable experience for travelers. The brand introduces three distinct venues: MAISON CLASSIC FACTORY, MAISON CLASSIC SALON, and MAISON CLASSIC CAFE.

The concept of MAISON CLASSIC is to transform the station from just a place to pass through into a destination where people can relax; provide visitors with a space that combines modern urban life with a refined café culture, making it much more than a typical station stop. Let’s take a closer look at each venue!

First in line is the MAISON CLASSIC FACTORY, a cream puff factory located on the 3rd floor of Takanawa Gateway Station, just outside the south ticket gate.

The shop offers three types of cream puff dough: Classic, Modern and Stone, ranging from soft to crispy, allowing you to choose the texture you prefer.

The glass-walled factory lets you watch the cream puff-making process up close.

The standout item is the Brulee chou a la crème, where the cream puff is caramelized right before your eyes, creating a perfect blend of crispy, creamy, and caramelized flavors. Johanna opted to try one out, and the final verdict? “This might be the best thing I’ve eaten so far this year!” Sounds like the MAISON CLASSIC FACTORY might be worth a visit!

Across from the cream puff factory, MAISON CLASSIC SALON is an elegant tea salon and bar lounge located on the 3rd floor of Takanawa Gateway Station, overlooking the station. With a soaring 8-meter ceiling, this spacious and luxurious space offers a refined atmosphere similar to a hotel lounge.

By day, it serves as a charming tea salon where freshly baked German pancakes are a specialty, complemented by a side dish of choice and a selection of delicious teas.

In the evening, the venue transforms into a sophisticated bar lounge offering original cocktails and a special collaboration gin created with Tokyo Hachioji Distillery.

Finally, the MAISON CLASSIC CAFE offers a serene oasis in the heart of Takanawa Gateway Station. As the only café within the station’s gates, it’s located near grassy areas and benches where you can relax and enjoy your drinks or food while watching trains pass by.

MAISON CLASSIC CAFE offers high-quality sandwiches and hot dogs made with roasted brown rice flour. The bread is freshly baked at MAISON CLASSIC FACTORY.

The café also offers delicious homemade gelato, made fresh in-house and with toppings including 100% Hokkaido-grown, tender boiled azuki beans and chewy shiratama mochi.

Takanawa Gateway City will not only serve as a destination of leisure and shopping; it is also set as a testing ground for experiments and research focused on environment, mobility, and healthcare, where new ideas and solutions for the future will be developed.

Located just in front of Takanawa Gateway Station (South Exit), you’ll find the Area, Information and Mobility Center. This serves as one of the charging spots for the five autonomous mobility vehicles that operate around the main entrance of Linkpillar 1. At the mobility charging spots, you can observe the process of charging with hydrogen-derived electricity.

These self-controlled mobility vehicles fit up to 3 passengers, and move back and forth around the area in front of Linkpillar 1. Staff on ground let us know that these vehicles run at a similar speed to regular walking, and will serve as a way to comfortably observe the complex rather than as a fast means of transportation. These vehicles were quite popular on the day we visited, and you might have to wait your turn if you want to take a ride!

Additionally, security robots, cleaning robots, and delivery robots will move throughout the facility, carrying items ordered via apps to offices and other locations throughout the complex. These robots will work in sync with a city-wide data infrastructure (urban OS) and robot platforms.

In contrast to the futuristic installments and initiatives throughout the complex, this free AR (Augmented Reality) experience offers a fascinating journey through the history of the Takanawa embankment, and the innovations brought by railways through the times. The TAKANAWA LINK SCAPE highlights the 150-year legacy of the Takanawa Chikutei sea wall, which played a pivotal role in the development of Japan’s first railway line, marking a significant moment in the country’s industrialization and shaping modern transportation. It also explores the future of mobility.

By downloading an app or scanning a QR code that opens the website on your smartphone browser, you will be able to observe and compare the fascinating development of the area you’re standing on by adjusting your camera.

The TAKANAWA LINK SCAPE AR experience spans 400 meters along the Takanawa Link Line, and you can follow along with your camera and explore the transformations along the way!

Building on the innovative spirit, Takanawa Gateway City introduces Zero-Site Takanawa Gateway, a unique event space designed to merge high-end experiences with sustainability.

Open from March 27 to July 31, 2025, this time-limited space embraces the concept of “High-Sustainable,” offering an immersive blend of art, ethical food, and drinks.

Danley Sound Labs is providing a high-quality audio system for ZERO-SITE, enhancing the night museum bar, music bar, and club experience with immersive sound technology that complements live DJ performances and kinetic art installations.

During the week, the venue transforms into a Night Museum Bar, while weekends bring a lively Music Bar/Club atmosphere. Zero-Site Takanawa Gateway promises to foster a new kind of community where people, art, and the city come together in harmony.

The TAKANAWA GATEWAY Travel Service Center is located on the 1st floor of The Linkpillar 1 South within the Takanawa Gateway City complex. Visitors can take advantage of services providing travel planning for those looking to explore Japan’s northeastern region. Operated in collaboration with JR East, this center serves as an excellent starting point for discovering the Tohoku region - a popular destination for its stunning landscapes, rich cultural heritage, and historical significance.

The Travel Service Center offers translation services in multiple languages, including English, Chinese, French and Italian. At the desk, you can also buy JR rail passes and standard tickets for travel on JR East lines.

Right as you step off the train at Takanawa Gateway Station and exit the gates, you will be met by this square-shaped rainbow creation. “100 Colors Path” by Emmanuelle Moureaux is an immersive art installation designed to celebrate the passage of time through color. Known for her signature “100 Colors” series, Moureaux uses a spectrum of 100 hues to create a visually striking experience that expresses the sense of time, memory, and transition.

Moureaux’s works often invite visitors to step inside a world of color, encouraging them to reflect on emotions and time in a uniquely sensory way.

For “100 Colors Path” at Gateway Park, the 53rd installation of the “100 Colors” series, she has designed a gate-shaped structure where each of the 100 colors represents a year in a century. These are meant to symbolize the flow of time starting from the Takanawa Gateway City’s grand opening in 2025, and the next 100 years.

Takanawa Gateway City also offers a convenient baby stroller rental service called “Babycal” at the Area Information & Mobility center. The service includes a reservation-based rental system with a special E5 Hayabusa model stroller, available for 500 yen for the first hour and 100 yen for each additional 30 minutes, with a maximum of 1,500 yen for 12 hours. Reservations can be made on the official website, and payments will be processed via credit card through the website in advance.

Takanawa Gateway City is shaping up to be a remarkable destination for anyone visiting Tokyo. With its modern urban landscape, blending state-of-the-art facilities with innovative design, it offers an entirely new experience for both locals and tourists alike.

*This article is written and published in March, 2025. Please refer to official pages for updated information.
*All prices in this article include tax, if not stated otherwise.